Conventionally, in a factory automation (FA) network for automating a production process in a factory, a master station receives a request from a control system design support device, thereupon polls slave stations to collect device types, identification information, and the like of the slave stations, and generates network connection information that is configuration information of the slave stations connected to the FA network to transmit the network connection information to the control system design support device (Patent Literatures 1 and 2).